Chapter 13
Adam woke to the sound of purring and the sting of tiny pinpricks on his chest. He opened his eyes to see Skye perched on him, kneading his T-shirt. The little kitten’s eyes were mere slits and he wore the look of pure kitty contentment.
“Hey, buddy. How did you climb up here?” Adam absentmindedly stroked Skye’s head. “Last I saw you were a tight ball in your bed.”
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and went through the process of attaching his prosthetic leg. “Are you ready for some breakfast?” Upon standing, he set Skye on the wood floor and watched as the kitten skittered out of the bedroom and into the living room. With a chuckle, he said, “Good to see you’ve got energy to burn.”
He picked up his phone to check messages and saw a text from Melinda and smiled. How was Skye’s night?
He typed in All’s well here, and hit send.
He started a pot of coffee and pulled up the internet looking for a veterinarian and then stopped. He could ask Will. They had cats and dogs running around their house. He hit speed dial and waited, grinning as Skye pounced the rays of sun on the floor.
Will answered, “Hey, bud, what’s up?”
“Morning. I was wondering if you’d give me the name of your vet.”
“Sure, are you thinking of adopting?”
With a low chuckle Adam said, “It seems a kitten has adopted me.” He went on to explain about his evening and how it was his only choice to bring the kitten home.
“That is great news!”
Adam was a bit taken aback by his friend’s enthusiasm. “That is not the reaction I expected.”
Will laughed. “I didn’t mean anything other than it’ll be good for both of you, the fluff ball for being rescued and you to have company.”
“I guess this means you don’t care I have a pet in the apartment?” Adam dangled a ball on a string for Skye. He was surprised at how light his heart was as he watched the little guy get tuckered out from his gymnastics routine.
“Not at all. I’ll text you the number. Hopefully you can get in today and get him checked out.”
“Sounds good. Let Stacey know about Skye and tell her to stop over tonight. He’s mighty cute.”
“Will do. See ya.” Will disconnected and Adam set the phone aside.
“Time for breakfast, buddy.” He scooped up the kitten and carried him into the kitchen.
Melinda smiled as she read the text from Adam, thrilled that all was going well. Checking her schedule, she saw she had four new clients today. The first would arrive in ten minutes and she needed to be in her office ready and waiting.
The doorbell rang and Melinda rose to answer it. Her heart caught in her throat as she opened the door. She put her hand on the casing to steady herself. For a brief second, the man standing before her seemed to be the spitting image of her John. He had the same dark olive complexion, ebony hair and deep brown eyes that were almost black. But they lacked the familiar warmth John had when he’d look at her.
“Ms. Phillips, are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Melinda blinked again to discover his nose was a tad longer, his face more angular with higher cheekbones and his eyes had flecks of amber in them.
“I’m sorry. Come in. For a moment you looked like someone I used to know.”
He held out his hand to her. “I’m Nicholas Taylor. We have an appointment at nine. Would you prefer to reschedule?”
Melinda moved to the side and said, “Not at all. Please come in.”
The moment he stepped into her office he filled the room with his presence. Memories of John washed over her. She gestured to the sofa. “Would you like a cup of coffee or water?”
“Coffee—black would be nice. Thank you. I just got off work and the caffeine would do me good.”
Melinda crossed to the side table where she had a coffeemaker. She busied herself with pouring him a mug, willing her hands to be steady. “Just black, you said?” Her voice cracked.
“Ms. Phillips, are you sure you’re feeling okay? We can postpone if you’d like.”
With a shake of her head she said, “I’m fine, really.” She gave him a weak smile and silently admonished herself to get it together. She was a professional. She handed him the mug and sat in her chair across from him. She took out a pad and pen. “Now then, Dr. Taylor.”
“Please call me Nick. After all, I’m about to share my heart’s desire for a partner. I think being on a first name basis is friendlier.” He shifted the coffee cup to his left hand and smiled. “So how do we do this? Do I just tell you everything I’m looking for in a woman and you ask questions in case I’ve missed something?”
She leaned back in her chair and took a deep, calming breath. “Nothing that rigid.” She forced a smile. “Did you bring a copy of the questionnaire I sent to you?
He reached into his sport coat pocket and withdrew a folded paper. He handed it to Melinda.
“Thank you.” She scanned the contents and continued, “I have a few follow-up questions and then the balance of our time will be more conversational.” She smiled, regaining her composure. “I find it best if you say the first thing that pops into your head. From there I’ll get a good picture of who you are, and then we’ll move forward.”
Nick leaned back against the sofa cushion and crossed one long, lean leg over his knee, showing off perfectly shined shoes.
Melinda glanced down at her printed paper. “I saw from your email that you’re a doctor and have lived in the area for about two years.” She looked up and he nodded over his coffee mug.
“That’s right. In fact, I work in the ER. I just got off before I came here.” He yawned. “It was a busy night.”
“So tell me, what brings you to a matchmaking service such as It’s Just Coffee?”
“To be honest, I’ve tried a few online dating services with little success. I’m tired of meeting the wrong kind of women. I want to find someone who shares some of my interests and will be open to new adventures we can discover together, but while still respecting that we are individuals.” He smiled. “You know, a healthy balance.”
Melinda jotted down a few notes. “Are you looking for someone in the medical profession?”
“Actually no. I’d like to leave work at work as much as I can, but someone who takes their career seriously would be a plus. Someday I’d like to have a family.” He smiled broadly. “I love kids.”
Melinda relaxed. She could think of several women already who would meet that criteria. She asked, “What are some of your hobbies?”
“I enjoy travel both in the US and internationally.”
Melinda glanced down and then at Nick. “A particular destination in mind? The beach, mountains?”
He grinned. “I have a huge bucket list of places I’d like to visit: Europe, a safari or maybe even an exotic beach or two. I like to enjoy life and I have the financial means to do so.” He clasped his hands. “I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant. I’m just stating facts.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t take it that way.” She gave Nick her best professional smile. “The more facts I have, the easier it will be to match you with the right woman.” Internally she choked a bit on what she had just said. It did sound like Nick was trying to impress her, not that gobs of money ever did. “Tell me a bit more. Do you enjoy hiking, biking and the theatre?”
“Concerts are fun, and I enjoy sailing. And I love old movies—classic screwball comedy and westerns.”
Melinda could feel Nick watching her as she glanced at the papers in her hands. Casually he asked, “So, what do you do in your spare time?”
She laughed as she nervously clicked the cap on her pen. It was a habit she did when she was uncomfortable, and thankful no one knew that about her. “Nick, we should stay focused on you.” She laid the papers in her lap. “I see you don’t have any objections to dating someone with children.”
“I’m open to it. It will be more about my connection with the lady, and I truly feel the rest will just fall into place.” He leaned forward his arms resting on his legs. “Do you have children?”
“Um, no. I don’t.” She stood up quickly, the papers sliding to the floor. “I think I have all I need for the moment. I’ll enter your information in the database and email you with my results. I’ll be sending your information to select women too. You may hear directly from a match.”
Nick picked up the papers and handed them back to her. He took Melinda’s hand in his and shook it, holding it for a moment longer than necessary before releasing it. “I’ll look forward to hearing from you.” He opened the door and paused on the threshold. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”
He closed the door firmly behind him. Melinda waited until she figured he was in his car before sagging into her office chair. Well, that was interesting. If I had passed him on the street I would have mistaken him for John. A familiar ache flooded her heart. Would the hurt ever really fade?
She got up and refilled her coffee, then printed off the paperwork for the next three clients. After checking the time, she had a few minutes to enter Nick’s information in the computer. She ran a search on her database and let the computer do the work for her. Then she could review the results and add her special touch.
As she waited, her thoughts drifted back to John. It was wonderful to have someone to plan a vacation with or even talk about the potential for a family. She blinked hard. How could meeting Nick get her thinking about things that were a part of her past? A family and partner were ripped away when John died.
Her thoughts slid to Adam. There was a great guy. If only…
A sharp knock on the door interrupted her train of thought. She opened the door. Her next client was standing on the step. “Gretchen. Come in.”
A tall, attractive redhead entered, impeccably dressed. The edges of her lips curved into a slow smile. “Hello, Melinda. I’m pleased you agreed to take me on as a client. Your reputation precedes you.” Her words came out in a soft rush, revealing the smattering of nerves she must be feeling.
Melinda gestured towards the sofa. “Let’s get started.”
With a musical laugh she said, “Well, it just so happens, while I was waiting in my car I saw a very handsome man leave your office. Is he a client?”
Without answering her question directly, Melinda smiled. “Let’s begin and see what we can do about finding a match for you.”